Passionate About Relaxed Biking

Park Slope Neighbors Statement on PPW

December 19, 2012

Here’s a statement from Park Slope Neighbors on today’s decision in the lawsuit challenging the Prospect Park West redesign:

The Appellate Division’s decision today can hardly be spun as a “victory” for opponents of the Prospect Park West traffic calming project. Three of the four causes of action they claimed were dismissed, and the only remaining question — whether or not the bike path was a “trial” or not — is a claim they can’t possibly prove, since the record is clear that the city, from the beginning, intended the redesign of Prospect Park West to be permanent.

From the first discussion of calming traffic on Prospect Park West, at the Park Slope Civic Council’s transportation forum in March of 2006, through the many Community Board meetings following the project’s implementation, the redesign of Prospect Park West has involved the public at every step.

But like Ahab with his White Whale, this small group of malcontents, who are neither for better bike lanes nor for safety — nor representative in the least of the vast, vast majority of Park Slope residents — continues an irrational quest to undo one of New York City’s best and most popular complete-streets projects. We’re hard-pressed to understand what motivates them, but it’s clearly not the goal of making something better or safer.

Park Slope Neighbors is confident that the lower court will close the door on this frivolous legal action once and for all. On the merits, the case against the safer Prospect Park West we all enjoy today is a loser.The decision is here:

I wonder how many people have moved to the neighborhood in the last two and half years precisely because it’s a safe, walkable and bikeable community. If they’re hearing about this “controversy” for the first time, they must think that this case is just totally and utterly batshit crazy.